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The next few weeks will be some of the busiest of the calendar year for WWE. In just a few short weeks, we will have our first-ever all-women's pay-per-view Evolution. Then, the Superstars head back to Saudi Arabia for WWE Crown Jewel. Then of course, there is Survivor Series weekend coming in November. Before all of that, however, we'll kick things off with a very super event.
This Saturday, the biggest wrestling promotion on the planet will be heading down under for WWE Super Show-Down. This will mark the first time that the WWE has held an event in Australia in over 15 years. Now, with such a monumental event, there must be some monumental matches taking place. Well guess what, Australia? You are in luck, because that is exactly what you will be seeing. Five matches in particular that we will see this Saturday that will shape the future of the WWE going into both WWE Evolution and Survivor Series, and we'll be taking a look at how think things will shape up.
#5 The New Day retains their tag team titles
Without a shadow of a doubt, we are looking at one of the greatest tag teams in the history of WWE in the New Day. Whether they're chucking pancakes into the crowd, doing their own ringside commentary, or donning a blonde wig and their best interviewer voice backstage, they always seem to find new ways to keep themselves relevant and interesting.
Then you look at The Bar, a once white-hot tag team who have gone a bit cold as of late due to inactivity. Despite the former tag team champions getting the upper hand on the current champions recently, I don't give Cesaro and Sheamus much of a chance this Saturday. While I am expecting a good match, I am also expecting the New Day to walk out of Melbourne, Australia still the Smackdown Tag Team Champions.
#4 Daniel Bryan becomes #1 Contender for the WWE Championship
Ever since returning to the ring earlier this year, the number one thought on everyone's mind was this: Will Daniel Bryan ever reach the same heights he reached in 2014? Now that he has signed a multi-year contract extension, will he take his place back at the top of the WWE food-chain and become WWE Champion once again? That much cannot be made certain, but Daniel does have a great chance to get back there when he faces the Miz to determine the new #1 contender for the WWE Championship.
This rivalry between Daniel Bryan and The Miz has been brewing for nearly a decade, and has only gotten more and more personal recently now that both men's wives have become involved. We have seen The Miz get the better of Daniel Bryan in one-on-one competition last August at SummerSlam. Then, we witnessed the It Couple bring down the Yes! Couple last month at Hell in a Cell.
Naturally, the Miz has some momentum going into this match. However, one thing that has set Daniel Bryan apart from so many wrestlers over the years is his ability to rise to the occasion. This is the same man who wrestled two matches and defeated three men in one night to win the WWE World Championship four years ago at WrestleMania. Daniel Bryan knows how to win when it counts, and I see that in his future come this Saturday in Australia. With a shot at the WWE Championship on the line, I see him overcoming the odds once again and finally putting this long-standing rivalry to bed.
#3 Becky Lynch retains her Smackdown Women's Championship
Mark me down as one of many people who thought that turning Becky Lynch heel was a bad idea. Much like fellow fiery-haired friend Sami Zayn, I assumed her to be too pure a babyface to be able to portray a believable bad girl. Mark me down as one of many people proven wrong.
This is some of the most entertaining work I've seen out of Becky yet, both in and out of the ring. There is a certain gratification that I get watching her thrash the same woman that many fans believe has been getting the spotlight over more deserving competitors, and seeing Becky walk out of Hell in a Cell last month was truly a wondrous sight to behold. Now she will stroll into the MCG this Saturday looking to keep her well-deserved title run going, and I see that happening.
Much can be done with this character and this feud that has not quite been done yet, and with WWE Evolution coming up soon, this is one lass kicking that will not be ending any time soon.
#2 Samoa Joe FINALLY wins the WWE Championship
Oh, Joe. You were robbed of the WWE Championship yet again at Hell in a Cell. You had AJ dead to rights, but unfortunately the referee did not see AJ tapping out as he had you pinned for the 3 count. You've got one last opportunity to seize gold at WWE Super Show-Down, so you must absolutely make it count....but will you?
Honestly, I think I'm going to double down here with my picks. The last two times AJ and Joe have gone head to head for the WWE Championship, I picked the latter to win. The second time, he should have won, so I'm going to go with the Submission Machine one last time. With the amount of teasing that we've been getting, it would be a massive letdown to let AJ retain. Plus, WWE has a thing for titles changing hands in other countries. Keep in mind, AJ won the WWE title for a second time in England. It would be a fitting end for him to lose that title outside of the US.
#1 The Shield wins in Australia
The long-awaited clash between The Shield and Braun Strowman's new pack finally goes down this Saturday. While the Universal and Intercontinental titles will not be on the line, this will still be a quality match-up that you do not want to miss, especially after seeing what unfolded during yesterday's episode of Raw.
We knew that there were signs of some dissent amongst the ranks of the Shield when last week, Braun and his boys tried to get inside the mind of Dean Ambrose, planting seeds of doubt that initially proved to have little effect. Well it turns out, it may have done more to damage Dean's trust in his Shield brothers than initially believed. Seth and Roman may want to watch out for their brother, because it seems Dean might be scheming behind their back.
As for Braun, Dolph and Drew, we may be witnessing the inevitable sooner rather than later. Braun made it quite clear yesterday that Dolph Ziggler was the weak link of their little gang after losing his match against Roman Reigns. Drew would then cement this fact by picking up a victory against Seth Rollins, possibly proving that Drew can get along just fine without his buddy Dolph.
As of now, it seems like this make-shift stable of bad guys is sooner to crumble than the brotherhood that is the Shield, and that may prove true this Saturday after the trio gets the last word on this rivalry. However, just because the Shield will win this Sunday does not mean that all's right with the world. Keep an eye on Dean Ambrose in the coming weeks, especially closer to Survivor Series.
